title: The Tangled Branches (Las Ramas Enredadas): sexual risk, substance abuse, and intimate partner violence among Hispanic men who have sex with men.
abstract: Hispanic men who have sex with men (MSM) experience a number of health disparities including high rates of HIV infection from high-risk sex, substance abuse, and intimate partner violence. Although some research is available to document the relationships of these health disparities in the literature, few studies have explored the intersection of these disparities and the factors that influence them. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences that Hispanic MSM residing in South Florida have with high-risk sex, substance abuse, and intimate partner violence. Focus groups were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory methodology until data saturation was reached (n = 20). Two core categories with subcategories emerged from the data: The Roots of Risk (Los raices del riesgo) and The Tangled Branches (Las Ramas Enredadas). The results of the study provided some important clinical implications as well as directions for future research with Hispanic MSM.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Nursing & Health Studies, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Guarda
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Provencio-Vasquez
authors.forename: Diego A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Deleon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005431:Florida; D017144:Focus Groups; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology*
keywords: Hispanics; gay men; intimate partner violence; psychiatric/mental health; qualitative research; sexual risk; substance abuse; transcultural health